Letting self-drive cars break speed limits a ‘calamitous mis-step’

0 Have your say Permitting self-driving cars to break speed limits would be a “calamitous mis-step”, Scotland’s official cycling body has warned. The alarm has been raised after an official consultation into how autonomous vehicles are regulated sought views on whether they should be programmed to permit speeding. The Scottish Law Commission said it could be for safe overtaking, avoiding sharp braking at the start of a lower limit, or to “improve traffic flow”. The commission has only broached the subject, but this has sparked concern that it is even being discussed as a possibility. The consultation stated: “There are three main policy arguments for allowing automated vehicles to be programmed to exceed the limit [such as up to 35mph in a 30mph zone]. “These are in the interests of safety, for example to overtake a vehicle as quickly as possible to avoid a collision. Some tolerance might prevent overly sharp braking, for example, on reaching a lower speed limit sign. It has been suggested by some stakeholders (and disputed by others) that exceeding the speed limit might sometimes be helpful to maintain traffic flow. The issue is clearly controversial and we have not yet reached any conclusions. We welcome views.” Cycling Scotland, the Scottish Government-backed cycle promotion body, said it was horrified. Chief executive Keith Irving said: “Fully autonomous vehicles are a legal and ethical minefield for society, with potential drawbacks as well as possible benefits. “The technology is many years away from coping with real-world conditions of rural… [Read full story]